Web World War II
by Amuanet
Summary: One hour after Daemon. A collaboration between the Guadrians, Codemasters and Mainframers on the problems they face next. (Reboot fanfic that spans more than the Mainframe system. Original stuff big here, so if you're not into that, best turn away now.)
1. Welcome to the Super Computer, mind the ...

Disclaimer: Reboot doesn't belong to me. But the characters I make up do. I'm not doing this for money. 

FYI: This story is one hour (year) after DR. This idea has been in my head ever since I saw DR, I wrote a few chapters in January, but stopped because of school. I'd like to think my knowledge of Reboot is sound, but I know I'm probably messing up somewhere. Things to note, please remember that episode in the Third season where Matrix and AndrAIa are outfitting Capacitor's ship to withstand the web. And of course, Daemon Rising. Please bear in mind, I have decided to ignore Megabyte's return in My Two Bobs, therefore, there are no two Bobs, Bob is still joined with Glitch, the key tools have not returned yet and so on and so forth. Time is as such: Year = hour, month = minute, day = second, hour = cycle, minute = milli second = nano

Oh, and this is also a re-release. What did I change? Some grammar, and I did write a bit more at the end. If I missed anything, please email me and I'll correct it. I also stopped writing for a few months because of school and I didn't want to leave my story hanging. 

Chapter One

"Come on now, work this just once." AndrAIa typed in the program codes and held her breath. She watched as her consol began to hum and power up. Green lights flickered slightly before turning completely on. AndrAIa smiled and quickly typed in the secondary codes.

"Keep going now," she whispered, more to herself than to the consol, "one more string of…"

"Warning! Power flux. Imminent control shut down. Refer to consol help read-me file."

AndrAIa narrowed her eyes and tightened her jaw. The last program codes were long, but if they were input the consol would work. Forcing her eyes not to blink, the ex-Mainframer pushed her aching fingers to type faster.

"Warning! Consult read-me file. Consol power exceeding safe levels. Consol overload. Enabling automatic shut down." A slight whirring noise, imperceptible by anyone but the game sprite's ears, followed the warning. 

"No, no, no!" AndrAIa's fingers moved faster. "Command override: Engineer code 789. Disable automatic shutdown command!"

"Shut down aborted. Warning, power overload, warning, power overload…" And so and so forth the automatic warning blared.

AndrAIa uttered a frustrated growl and looked up at the overhead speaker phone and yelled,

"Command override: Engineer code 789. Disable automated voice warning system!" 

The warning clicked off, but the problem continued. Even as the desperate sprite typed furiously at the consol, the panel lights flashed erratically. Error sounds came from the consol like death groans, and in its last ditched effort to fend off the onslaught of incoming code, it threw out sparks. 

AndrAIa winced as the sparks that contacted her uniform fizzed and died out. Even though the suit was made from the best material possible and resisted all the environmental hazards an engineer, like her, faced she still shied instinctively away from flame, or anything else from that province. 

"By the user!" AndrAIa exclaimed, "You should work! This has to wo-"

BOOM!

A vid window pops up in the smoky room. 

"AndrAIa?" Came the voice from the vid window. "AndrAIa?" Came the voice again.

No answer.

"Joules, contact Caster. Send a med team to the V.D.C. AndrAIa's not answering. Oh User, I hope her icon wasn't damaged."

"Tronnie?" AndrAIa waved the smoke out of the way of the vid window. "I'm okay." She paused and looked around the mini conflagration she had caused. "That Web cursed consol almost worked!" AndrAIa muttered and kicked a smoldering panel clear across the room. 

The green skinned sprite in the vid window sighed softly. The Viral Deletion Chamber was crucial to the Guardian Collective, and AndrAIa had worked almost half a minute on repairing it. Out of the original twenty-four the Guardians had pre-Daemon, only three survived and even then, they only handled the low to medium level viruses. The other chambers were mostly repaired, but the V.D.C. AndrAIa worked on was one of three chambers that had the capacity of handling all kinds, even the metazoan class virals. Tronnie turned around and accessed a vid window to Caster.

"Caster? AndrAIa's okay. No need for a med team. I'll have her check in with you later, but she seems okay." Tronnie clicked the window closed, and turned back to the link with the game sprite. AndrAIa was picking through the rubble, searching for salvageable parts while the faulty fire systems sputtered out teaspoons of water.

"One hour," Tronnie said softly, "one hour and still we're suffering from Deacon's meddling."

"Ouch." Joules peered over Tronnie's shoulder. She was a few hours younger than Tronnie, and had not officially graduated from the Guardian Technicians Sector. However, Deacon, under Daemon's influence had deleted many of the technicians in the super computer. Desperate for any help, Tronnie trained Joules originally as an assistant for her. When Joules seriously showed her worth as a Guardian Technician, Tronnie upgraded her to Technician: Level Green-Five.

"Need an help there?" Joules asked.

"No." AndrAIa picked up yet another charred fragment. "Everything is roasted. I should have left it as it was." She dropped the piece down near her feet and looked glumly at Tronnie and Joules.

Joules tapped a screen and a stream of codes flooded the screen.

"Spectacular! These codes should have worked, and upgraded the V.D.C too." Joules ogled the screen for a few more nanos, before pointing to the screen.

"Well, would a web creature bite me in my output node, Deacon! Again! Another one of his traps!" Tronnie thumped the table.

"Well," AndrAIa stood, arms akimbo, "this is beyond saving. I suppose we could turn it into a swimming pool. I've always wanted one since I came to the Super Computer."

Tronnie and Joules both turned to look at AndrAIa through the vid window. Tronnie groaned and let her head smack her control consol. An error sound emitted rudely from the speaker by her computer screen.

"Oh, the water's fine. A little cold for you two, but fine for a water game sprite like me." AndrAIa smirked as she stood elbow deep in the flooding room.

"Drainage is off-line. Sprinkler system is jammed. Doors are jammed. But look, the vents still work." Joules pressed a button, and a vent near AndrAIa's head fell open.

"Thanks Joules." AndrAIa was treading water now. "I'll see what I can do with the sprinklers as soon as I get out."

"No need. Tronnie's on it now." Joules said. "Why don't you take a break? Check in with Caster and make sure there's no internal injuries."

"I'm fine. And there is still work to be done. I'll meet you-"

"Take a break Andi, the team here will manage without you for a bit. Go check in with Caster." Tronnie said off screen.

AndrAIa nodded and waved before pulling herself up into the open vent. Joules tapped the X button on the vid window and started to work on the drainage system.

---

AndrAIa sat dozing in the far corner of the mess hall. She had worked through to the morning in the deletion chamber. In her relaxing hands, she held a cooling cup of Mainframe's imported cocoa. There was no one in the mess hall now. Breakfast had been over before she had arrived. But then again, even at peak hours, the hall was never full as it had been before Daemon. 

AndrAIa's head drooped farther forward, and as she did, strands of her aquamarine hair drifted down. She no longer wore the suit she had game hopping. Instead, she downloaded the specs of a Guardian engineer's suit that was modified to have remnants of her game hopping gear. 

It had been three and a half minutes since she had come to the Super Computer. AndrAIa knew the Guardian's sorely needed repair crews and engineers, and since she had not much of a reason to stay in Mainframe, AndrAIa left for the Super Computer.

"Whoa there." A hand came and pulled the tipping cup from AndrAIa's limp fingers.

Turbo slid into the booth seat in front of her.

"All nighter I hear." He placed the cooled cup onto the table.

"Yeah, I almost had it too." The Ex-Mainframer skewed her lip and slouched backwards into her chair.

"Hey now," Turbo said softly, "that room was gone before you were here. At least you gave it a fighting chance."

AndrAIa managed a weak smile in response.

Turbo looked into her adverted eyes. AndrAIa really had sped up repairs in the Super Computer, and he knew what an accomplishment it would have been to have the V.D.C up and running. He, himself, had tried to fix the room and failed, and Turbo knew that if AndrAIa had pulled it off, it would have been a major boost in the Guardian moral. Not to mention, time and resources saved from having to build a completely new chamber from scratch.

A vid window pops up.

"Uh, Prime Guardian Turbo sir?" Mr. Christopher looked at his file and waved it around a little. "Sir, I've contacted the Captain. He said he could round up the parts for a new deletion chamber in a few seconds. Maybe three seconds at best. Unfortunately, he'll need access into the Super Computer to secure the funds needed to purchase the parts. Shall I have him go to Mainframe and have Bob make him a portal there?" 

"If Bob's up to it. Have the Captain report to the treasury once he's here." Turbo went to click the close button.

"Sir, if I may," Mr. Christopher blinked nervously and shuffled his feet. "The Captain said he could get you the parts at half these prices."

"I know, I know." Turbo sighed. "Black market pirated equipment. Mr. Christopher, the Guardian Collective has integrity to maintain. With the loss of our key tools, and delays in the response time it takes to deal with viruses, we can't afford to be the centre of a pirated equipment scandal." 

"Well noted sir. I'll inform the Captain." With that, the binome's vid window was gone.

"Taking up the accounts for the Guardian Collective I see." AndrAIa said with a touch of her usual bright personality.

"You should have seen the look on his face when he first saw them. Caster had his med kit out and everything." Turbo paused, "he's done a great job though. He admitted difficulty in adjusting to a non-profit group like us. I wish I could give him some help."

AndrAIa met his eyes. "Can't afford to yet can you?"

"None, the Daemon wars cost us over three quarters of our task force. Then, there is our internal systems crew, and you know the sorry state that is in." Turbo crossed his muscular arms, and leaned back in his seat. 

AndrAIa was silent for a moment as she dwelled on Turbo's words.

"But on the bright side," AndrAIa said, "I hear the number of recruits are up."

Turbo nodded.

"Of course. After any major viral event our numbers grow." He sat up and rested his chin on his fist." The problem is finding quality recruits. We want sprites who are smart as well as physically capable of taking on viruses and users." 

"Can't have too many hot heads I guess." AndrAIa responded.

"You bet." He lifted his head and lowered his arm on the table. "Would you want to? I could download the Guardian Protocol onto you. You've proved your worth hundred times over. You're smart, a good fighter and you've taken on more users than some of the full level Guardians here." He leaned a bit closer, and reached to tap his icon. "No training, full guardian right now."

Internally, AndrAIa winced. How many times had he asked her? How many times had the others asked her? And for how long would they continue to do so? There was no problem in her being a Guardian; her game sprite coding was extremely versatile. Outwardly, her lip twitched, this reminded her of Enzo when they were young. How he would have died for a full Guardian upgrade from Turbo, the Prime Guardian, himself. But this wasn't what she wanted. Being a Guardian burdened her of a past she had left systems ago.

She met Turbo in the eye, and chuckled politely. 

"Hey Turbo, you know that sort of fun isn't for me. I'm happy doing what I'm doing now."

Turbo shrugged his massive shoulders and lowered his hand.

"You are worth it though."

There was a silence between them before AndrAIa noticed the time.

"Oh no! Have I been here this long?" She slapped her forehead, and moved to get up. "I was going to help Tronnie train Divot." As she stood, Turbo stopped her.

"Andi, you haven't had any downtime. Go to your quarters and take some time offline. I'll tell Tronnie, and I'm sure she can handle one new trainee."

AndrAIa wanted to protest, but trying to stand was sapping her energy.

"Call me if anything happens."

Turbo nodded and walked her out of the mess hall.


	2. Infected Web

Plugging along at my funeral pace. Ole! Reboot belongs to Mainframe. The other characters belong to me.

---

Chapter two

Tronnie stretched and spun in her rotating chair. The training with Divot had been smooth enough. He came from a system near the outskirts of the Net, and although his comprehension of technical materials was unflawed and sound, his accent was hard on her especially after a stressful second.

"And this second isn't even half over." Tronnie muttered. 

"'Ardon? Ma'am I did't 'ear you." Divot peeked into her make shift cubicle holding a welder and a dustpan.

"Oh, Divot." Tronnie flashed a tired, but genuine smile, "it's nothing. I was just talking to myself."

Divot nodded and stepped into full view. Like Guardian 452, Divot had blue skin. Though his hair was a flashing white halo that accented his shimmering gold eyes. He wasn't very skinny, or well built. In fact, his body compile was near stereotypical of a tech boy.

"Is 'here mure thinks?" He paused and his face screwed in the effort of talking in a foreign tongue. "Are there more things to do?"

Tronnie sat and wrack her processor for tasks. There was always something to do these days, too many things to do in fact.

"Ma'am, th-u viral dele-tian room. I'll go and clean it up." He said with much difficulty.

Tronnie looked into his golden eyes. He must feel very out of place, she thinks. The other techies were very friendly and nice, but the stress that comes from repairing equipment with only one eight of your original team only grows when you can't communicate clearly.

"Sure Div," Tronnie shortened his name, more out of trying to create a feeling of comradely than laziness. "If you need anyone, don't hesitate to ask."

Divot smiled and nodded before briskly walking out of the main repair room.

Tronnie usually tried to get cadets who were fluent with the language files used on the super computer. But there was such a lack of recruits interested in engineering that Tronnie had to go into the Net and look for possible recruits by herself. Out of the few she had found, Divot's tests results were just so promising. 

The green skinned guardian tapped a screen and began scrolling down the contents of the file.

"Muscle bound eight bits." Tronnie said in disgust as she read the roster for the new row of Guardian cadets. "Being a Guardian isn't all about deleting." She said as she closed the file, and shut off the screen.

Tronnie wondered how AndrAIa was. She received Turbo's readme about Andi, and of course, Tronnie wasn't surprised when Turbo had told the game sprite to go offline. On her wrist, Tronnie's wrist computer began to beep, and outside, one of the tech boys heard it.

"Break time's over Tron! No rest for the weary!" Piped a voice.

There was a loud zapping noise, followed by a high-pitched yelp and finally a roaring of laughter. "Come join the party!"

The laughing continued, and when the much welcome humming sound of an online and functioning application was heard, the laughing was joined by whoops of cheering. Tronnie walked in as the tech staff broke into one of their regular, yet welcome victory parties. Tronnie smiled and joined in the celebration. 

On her table, the screen Tronnie used to view the list of cadets flickered on briefly before shutting off again.

---

Far off on the other side of the Super Computer where the personal quarters of the Guardians were, AndrAIa rolled over in her pool of water. The time offline had been wonderful. The water was warm; her room was beautifully dark and quiet. Everything felt perfect. AndrAIa rolled back onto her front and her face slid back under the water's surface. As a water game sprite, she could function submerged in water as well as if she was not. With a half online effort, she tapped the controls and felt more warm water close over her. This is the life, she thought to herself before going offline again.

---

"These are the cadets that feel they are capable of skipping levels two to six." Palmer pulled up the file and handed the data pad to Garrison.

Garrison scanned the list. The cadets had entered the Academy with a host of recommendations from their home systems. It was these recommendations from the security sector of their systems, and their outstanding physical exam tests that convinced Palmer to wave the below average written scores on their entrance exams. 

Garrison hated his current situation. As the new head of the security and viral incident teams, Garrison knew there was a massive shortage of trained sprites for the job. But his original position, one he still occupied as head of the Academy, conflicted with the idea of advancing sprites just so they could fill the ranks of the teams. At another time, he wouldn't have let any cadet think they could skip levels, even cadets with recommendations and high scores. But he needed more sprites to deal with the new surge of viral activity on the Net. Garrison and those in the Super Computer weren't the only ones who knew of the shortage in Guardian numbers over the past hour.

"You say their combat skills are good, and that they are always completing the objectives before their peers."

Palmer cleared his throat. "They prefer the use of large detonation weapons, and I have the feeling the other students don't like to train with them. I believe this suits them."

"Not team players eh?" Garrison tossed the pad on his desk and looked at Palmer.

"They say that levels two to six are intro courses to User and Game combat skills. As they want to work on the incident teams, they believe the levels as irrelevant." 

Garrison drummed his fingers. Advancing them to level six would hasten the time for them to finish in the Academy, and he did desperately need people in his teams.

"Palmer, I'll think of it. Chances are no." Garrison saw Palmer start to protest. What chaos must they cause in order for Palmer to want to get them out of his classes so much, Garrison wondered. Out loud, he said, "I need to consider their combat skills. If they are as good as you say they are, than I suppose the benefits out weigh the levels they need to go through."

Palmer relaxed visibly. Garrison pitied the aging sprite. The past year clearly aged him. Before Daemon, Palmer had only taught the first introductory class in being a Guardian. His background being in medical knowledge, Palmer usually taught cadets how to handle medical emergencies. But, like Daecon, under the influence of Daemon, had sabotaged the internal systems crew, so had he done with the Academy. The Academy had more than a hundred instructors, and fully equipped training facilities. After Daemon, those few who were not deleted were assigned to be on the viral incident teams. Recruitment, training and basically everything else fell upon Garrison, Palmer and a scant handful of other teachers.

"They train every second on the fifteenth cycle in the Danger Room."

Garrison checked the time. 

"I'll go and watch them from the terrace."

---

"Please keep all limbs inside the engine!" The search sprite said, "We're about to embark on our trip. Fasten your seat belt sprites and binomes! The search begins! Yahoo!" With that, the yellow metallic sprite pressed the search button and was zipped off with its passengers in the streamlined search shuttle.

The search engine scanned past systems and networks. It was a version 6.0 search engine with a higher search capacity. But this did not interest Zaider. This was the first search trip that the little round binome was on. Zaider watched the gateways speed past them. There were more than he could count, process or compute.

"Passengers," came a friendly voice from the overhead speakers, "we are pleased to inform you that our search trip will take us through parts of the Web. Please remain seated and for your viewing pleasure, this new search engine is equipped with Tranillumination technology." 

There was a musical chiming noise that was followed by the walls of the craft becoming transparent. A collective sound of awe was heard from the passengers as they enjoyed the ability to see the Web in all directions. Zaider, like the rest, gasped in marvel as the engine exited the Net and entered the Web.

Swirling masses of energy gravitated around various points and created spinning wheels of colour. The myriad of colours flowed together to create Web nebulas of fantastic effects. Still, like most trips, the ride was bumpy and more than one binome or sprite was throwing up. Zaider, however, stared out into the wild and wonderful Web, and wondered how free it must feel to be a Web rider or Surfr. 

Zaider smiled. "Web rider Zaider," he whispers.

The turbulence increased and the friendly voice from over head came again.

"Oops, sorry folks. Nothing to worry about. Just a few energy flares. We regret to inform you that we must deactivate the Tranillumination technology in order to create a smoother ride."

At Zaider's young age, the slight quaver of uncertainty in the voice went unheard. 

Another tremor came, this one stronger and longer. Then, without warning, the walls of the search engine tore open. Screaming ensued and behind Zaider an older sprite clutched his chest and choked as his driver overloaded.

Zaider watched as the Web poured in. His mother screamed in mortal terror and turned to shield Zaider's body. From above, nozzles opened up and a spray of silver-gold liquid coated the bodies of the passengers. With himself coated in the substance, Zaider felt the degrading effects of the Web stem off. From above, facemasks dropped down and his mother snapped it over his face before doing so to her.

Zaider never made a sound throughout the commotion. The Web was beautiful, why would sprites be afraid of them? Though the body of his mother still obscured most of his view, Zaider saw something. Web creatures, black and red tendril waving monsters. They were the ones who ripped open the search engine and now, these roaring whale shaped entities circled the broken engine like vultures. Zaider turned his eyes to look at the other passengers. Many were being impaled brutally by the tendrils, and some were being torn from their seats and flung broken into the Web.

"Search Command HQ! Mayday! Trapped in the Web!" The search engine sprite yelled into the communicator before turning around to see a blue and green ball of tentacles descend into the engine.

Zaider watched as the ball unwinded, and out from the mass of twisting limbs was a sprite like creature. The thing floated to the trembling search engine sprite, and from its hanging arms came two ugly green coils. Like snakes, the coils reared up and surveyed the sprite before striking. Through the body of the screaming sprite the coils went. Then, as the coils held the skewered sprite in mid air, they began to pulsate. With each pulse, the coils emitted a brighter colour. With each pulse, the search engine sprite dimmed. When the vampire deed was done and the sprite was absorbed, the tendril bearing sprite monstrosity turned to survey the cowering group.

Green skull.

Zaider saw a green skull, or at least it once was in the shape of a skull. Now, it was a melted green stain on the chest of the beast.

The sprite thing wrapped its slithering tendrils around itself once more before uttering the beeping language of Web creatures.

As the ball ascended, the other Web creatures lashed out. Tendril after tendril arrowed in and struck each one of the passengers. Gurgling deletion cries were soon followed by the static tinkling sound of a binome or a sprite being deleted.

Zaider's own mother exploded in a shower of glitter as she was deleted. A nano later, Zaider felt a tendril puncture his body. He didn't scream or even whimper. He raised one hand and touched the tendril. Zaider marvelled at the warmth of it. The tendril seemed to change density, for it was hard at one instance and soft a nano later. In the brief nanos before his deletion, Zaider examined the veins beneath the semi-translucent red-purple exterior. He didn't like how they glowed neon green for it reminded Zaider of the stories he heard of Daemon's infection

Zaider felt himself delete. It was an interesting feeling, painful but interesting. He felt his body break apart and then he felt nothing.


	3. Code Linked

AndrAIa walked down the metal corridors of the Guardian Central Command. Garrison had contacted her half a cycle ago, and asked if she could come and watch some of the cadets train. But the game sprite had offlined right through the training session.

She reached the door leading onto the terrace that over looked the Danger Room and keyed in the open code. As she entered, Garrison looked up and smiled at her. 

"Sorry I am late. I got your message ten nanos ago when I woke up." She came in and looked down into the empty Danger Room. "Did I miss a good show?"

Garrison grimaced. "It was terrible. Blind brawling and horrendous use of large detonation weapons. I denied their request and reassigned them to taught by Jarrel."

AndrAIa widened her eyes. Jarrel was the harshest Guardian AndrAIa had ever met. A bit of a social recluse, Jarrel spent most of his time fine tuning and designing new weapons. During the past three minutes, AndrAIa had only seen Jarrel once. She knew though, the one thing he hated was insubordination. And for this reason, he agreed to instruct cadets.

"Well, that will either straighten them out, or cause them to quit." AndrAIa said, smirking.

Garrison sat in the recliner chair pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes. 

"Doesn't matter to me. I read over those so-called recommendations. I think that system wanted them out as much as Palmer wants them out."

AndrAIa sat at the side of Garrison, and both sprites stared out into the Danger Room.

"No good cadets equals no good Guardians, but then what's the use, we don't even have our key tools." Garrison absently rubbed his forearm where his key tool once resided. AndrAIa had noticed this habit in the Guardians that had lost their key tools from Daemon's infection. 

"They are out there somewhere. Don't ever give up hope."

Garrison smiled at her. "Your optimism is boundless. Thank the User you came to the Super Computer to keep our spirits up and help with the repairs." He paused and thought of question many had wanted to ask her. He knew the answer she told everyone who did ask. I'm here to help with the repairs, she would say as she flashed her bright smile. 

"Why did you leave Mainframe?" He asked finally.

"I'm here—"

As she begins to regurgitate her canned answer, Garrison interrupted.

"The real answer, Andi."

AndrAIa met him in the eye and gauged him. Internally, she felt a flare resentment grow. This was worse than the 'do you want to be a Guardian' question. Why couldn't sprites just be happy that she is here helping? Yet, Garrison, along with Tronnie had been some of the few people she became fast friends with, and Tronnie already knew why she left. Shouldn't Garrison deserve to know as well? Not yet, she thinks to herself. Her reasons were not so much a painful past, but more of a sad burden she carried within herself.

"Garrison, I—" 

In mid sentence, AndrAIa's eyes widened and she felt herself heave forward. She heard Garrison call out her name, but it sounded muffled and hazy. Her vision blurred, and she felt a tingling in the back of her mind before blacking out.

--- 

_Do you know what I am? _A voice came.

What in the Net? What is going on? AndrAIa turned around, trying to see where she was but only sees purple and red mist. 

_Do you know what I am?_ The voice came again.

Oh User. I'm in the Web! AndrAIa realized in panic.

_No. Not the Web. But the Web is being infected. AndrAIa, look at me._ The voice said.

AndrAIa turned around and stumbled backwards as she comes face to face with a Web creature. Her hours of game fighting training switch on and she took a fighting stance while her nails extend in preparation to attack. One hand slid to her hip, searching for trident. 

_AndrAIa,_ the voice said, _look at me. Look at yourself._

AndrAIa raised one hand, but as she does so, she recognizes something within the Web creature.

"You have my code. You are the Web creature that absorbed my code when I touched the egg sac." AndrAIa said.

_Yes. I can communicate with you because we are linked by code._ The voice pauses, _you did not know web creatures are sentient? We are like you, but different in form AndrAIa. Something is happening to us. A monster came for us. The monster came to kill us to destroy you. The monster is coming for all of you. Now wake._

--- 

AndrAIa looked around. She was in the infirmary room. There was an energy transfusion kit next to her, and various monitors were blinking around her.

"Nothing too terrible, exhaustion can be blamed for that. But the second long nap you've just woken up from has made up for it." Caster said as he hands a pouch of blue liquid to her. "Have an energy shakes with this liquid in it before you decide to do anything. Now off you go to fix something." He grins and puts gauze over the needle prick of the IV. 

--- 

AndrAIa crouched near the ground and welded the panel over the circuitry. Tronnie had insisted she fix something less strenuous and assigned AndrAIa to replacing the panels over fixed circuitry. 

After the last panel was welded on, AndrAIa stood up and stretched. Her long form didn't agree with being jammed underneath a table. 

"All done. This makes all the V.D.Cs repaired except the Metazoan Chamber." Tronnie stood near the door, and checked her pad. "Not bad at all seeing to we're still understaffed." 

AndrAIa lifted up her welder's mask and followed Tronnie out of the room.

"Capacitor should be here in two seconds with the new Chamber parts, and with any luck, a new Chamber built a second after that."

"Well, if I know Gavin, I'm sure he'll be early with his delivery and…" AndrAIa moaned and grabbed Tronnie's arm for balance. With her other hand, she pressed two fingers in between her brow and grimaced.

"Andi?" Tronnie said uncertainly.

The game sprite had her eyes tightly closed and she swayed slightly on her feet. A nano passed before the tension left her face and she was able to speak.

"My head…" She said as she slowly looked up.

"I'm calling-" Tronnie started to say.

"Behind you!" Shouted the game sprite as she pulled Tronnie behind her and unleashed four nails at the menace she sees.

"Andi," the other sprite said nervously, "what are you doing? There's nothing…"

The game sprite trembled as she looked at her friend.

"Web creature… I saw a Web…" Her voice trailed off and her hopeless look frightened Tronnie.

Tronnie pressed a button near the door, and opened a vid window to Caster.

"Caster, medical emergency. I'm bringing AndrAIa." She shut the window, and without another word, she led the stunned game sprite out.

---

"The only thing I can suggest is to keep your energy levels up. Energy shakes, fast food and lots of offline time." Caster unlocked the scanning chamber and stood back as Bob swung his legs to the side of the examination table.

"I've spent too much time doing all three, and I feel fine. Really, these phases barely happen now. I haven't had one in minutes." Said Bob as he backed up nervously from Caster's medical scanners. "I really don't see the need for these bi-minute check ups."

"Bob," Caster said, "no one in the history of the Guardian Collective has merged with their key tool. We have to play it safe with this one. You're the only one who can make portals to the Super Computer. Turbo doesn't want to put a port in here so you have to stay nice and healthy for us." He finished recording things on his data pad and looked back at Bob.

"All done?" Bob asked hopefully.

"Until half a minute from now."

"Bye!" The dread-locked Guardian yelled as he dashes quickly out of the room.

---

"Ay!! Ye be late for the opening! Those technicians almost have the Chamber ready ta start! Fast workin' folk they be eh Bob?" Capacitors hobbled proudly forward as he watched the final stages of the put together for the V.D.C begin. Behind him, Bob stopped and looked at the new equipment.

"Executioner's toys," he mutters quietly, "I had wished they had gotten the message that deletion isn't the way. Hex's sacrifice should have taught them that by now." Bob glowered at the tricadium bonds that held viruses helpless as they were deleted. He remembered so vividly Hex's sacrifice to save the Net.

---

"Come now Guardian," Capacitor removed his hat and tapped his wooden peg leg on the ground. "New ideas take time. Right now, without the key tools, can ye really blame the Guardians for deleting viruses?" 

"I guess not." Bob looked away. He knew it was hard to fight viruses without key tools. The key tools were a combination of vast variety of tools. There was no need to carry scanners, blasters and containment units. All you needed was one Guardian who was joined with a key tool. Now, even the minor, small-scale viruses needed teams of four or five guardians to neutralize. 

"Thar goes the final panel! Time to break out the drink!" Capacitor hobbled his way forward to the exhausted technicians team. Round the clock work shifts had enabled the new chamber to be built in record time. With a hearty cheer, Capacitor revealed a bottle of wine and began celebrating the completion of the chamber.

Left behind, Bob only shook his head and walked away.

---

"Bob!" A familiar voice called out from behind him in the hallway.

"AndrAIa?" Bob stopped in mid-step and turned around. "Hey! It's been a while. What's this? The first times during my bi-minute check ups that I've seen you?"

The two sprites gave each other a friendly hug, and continued to walk down the corridors.

"I've been working on trying to fix all sorts of things here. I barely had time to go offline sometimes. Where are you going now?"

Bob looked down to the shorter game sprite.

"I'm just going to talk to Turbo. He said he has a new theory to finding the key tools. Why don't you come along?" 

AndrAIa smiled weakly.

"I can't. Caster has ordered me to stay in my quarters. He thinks I over exert myself."

Bob gave her a worried look and stopped walking.

"You okay? What's the matter?"

AndrAIa sighed loudly and looked wearily at the Guardian.

"I don't know. I just keep…" Her voice died in her throat as her eyes fixed on something behind Bob. 

"AndrAIa?" Bob moved to turn around but the game sprite stopped him.

"Don't. Nothing is there. It'll go away in a nano. Just don't look." She said with effort.

Bob narrowed his eyes but did as his friend told him so. He watched her carefully though. He could see breathing quicken despite her efforts to keep calm. The hand she had on him was so tense it quivered, and he could feel her nails begin to extend.

"Andi?" He asked in a quite low voice. "What's the matter?"

In AndrAIa's eyes, it was the Web creature. It floated about a meter behind Bob. This was the sixth time she had seen it since her first hallucinations four seconds ago with Tronnie. The creature broke from its position and swam lazily back and forth in the corridors. Sometimes it would speak to her of a monster. Other times it just floated in her vision. Then, it did something unexpected. The Web creature turned quickly to face AndrAIa again and charged roaring at her with it's jagged maw gaping.

"Oh User! Look out!" AndrAIa screamed and staggered backwards. Bob followed her, trying to catch her but only served to get in the way of her nails as she unleashed them at the Web creature. Both she and Bob fell to the ground. She saw the Web creature loom in upon her, open its jaws wider than ever thought possible and swallow her.


	4. Chit chat and gun maintenance AKA: Guns ...

I love Matrix's Gun. I thought everyone should have one, and lo-and behold! There are more Guns! I also think I'm pretty clever about how the Gun came to be, but that's just me. If you want to flame me for it, well, that's not going to change anything so save your time. ;)

_Game sprite. _

What do you want?

_Understand what is going on here. The monster…_

I know! The monster! Always the monster! I know he is killing you to kill us. But what in the Net is the monster? Why is he killing you? AndrAIa screamed with her mind. There was a silence. AndrAIa wondered if she had chased the Web creature away, but oh, if she were only that lucky.

_Show you._

And AndrAIa saw. She was floating in the Web. Something that she had experienced before ever since these episodes began. But now, it was different. Instead of just the sole Web creature floating in front of her, she saw dozens. A whole pod of Web creatures floated tightly together with their fear emanating from them like heat from the sun. One by one, a sickly green coil lashed forward and impaled each Web creature, and as each one was deleted a tiny spark of purple energy was left behind. The purple sparks floated delicately in the Web, and began to spiral around until they gathered and became a condensed ball of light. One of the green coils ventured close to the ball, and from it a shower of sparkles came from it. AndrAIa recognized it as the energy transforming material used by Guardians and Surfers when they turned tear energy into a portal. But instead of a stable portal bubble, the spark of light dimmed and disappeared. AndrAIa heard a howl of rage and looked to see from whom it came from. Her eyes fix on the creature, and she sees…

"Caster?" AndrAIa whispered weakly. 

"You feelin' okay?" Caster was looking down at her. 

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she turned her head to the other medical table and saw Bob sitting up with his head hanging. He was rubbing his neck and shaking his head groggily. Beside him was a surgical table that had two of her nails place upon it. Caster left her bedside and helped Bob stand.

"Wha?" She said, bewilderment strong in her croaky voice.

"Jarrel found you and Bob unconscious in the hallway. Bob was out from the toxin in your nails. It was the lethal dose instead of just the knock out stuff, but we administrated the antitoxin in time to save him. "

"You," there was a pause, "were just out." Garrison's voice came from the left of her. The big sprite helped her sit up and supported her as she gained her bearings.

"I don't know what happened. I…" She stopped and gave Garrison a puzzled look.

"Web creature again?" He said softly so the others in the room would not hear.

AndrAIa nodded. During the past few seconds in which AndrAIa had been ordered to stay in her quarters by Caster, Garrison had came in regularly to check on her well being and keep her company. It was only him or Tronnie that she was completely open with on the issue of her recent hallucinations.

He frowned and sighed. 

"You need to tell someone besides me about this. I can't help you." He advised softly. When Caster returned, Garrison stepped back and let the medical Guardian scan the game sprite.

"Energy signs, EEG, CRD, PULS… everything normal." The medical sprite closed his scanner and looked AndrAIa straight in the eye. "I can't find anything wrong. From these tests, you are as healthy as ever and operating at optimal levels. But obviously, something is wrong." He regarded her for a few moments more before tapping and removing his blue and white guardian icon. AndrAIa sat back as Caster pointed his icon to AndrAIa's own on the front of her belt. A beam of light emitted from his icon as he uploaded a temp program onto her icon.

"Just a round the clock stats scanner. You won't notice it, but it will keep me updated on your vitals." Caster looked up at her and replaced his icon. He turned to another medical consol and began working at it.

Bob had made his way over to her now. AndrAIa could see quite clearly two small puncture wounds on his neck from where her nails had hit him.

"Sorry about that." She says, smiling sadly. 

Bob flashed her one of his quirky, yet charming smiles and was about to say something when Caster returned.

"I'm going to have to keep you here in the FBS Chamber. I need to know what your stats look like when you go offline like that." Behind Caster, in the other room, AndrAIa saw the lights flick on as the circular tube room prepared to be used. "Probably better we put you in there now. We don't know when you'll drop offline again."

As Caster led her to the FBS Chamber, AndrAIa glanced at Garrison. He had taken a step forward towards her.

"I'll bring things from you quarters if you want." The big sprite said, concern strong in his eyes.

She nodded slightly and smiled at him. He was a bit taller than she was with her game hopping heels. He had marine blue coloured skin with neatly cropped, chrome hair that spiked forward. His uniform was similar to the Prime Guardian's, minus the shoulder guards. Navy blue commander's uniform with silver trim and black armbands, boots and belt, the head of the Academy and Viral teams was a little leaner than Turbo, yet commanded a similar awe. Along the upper part of the left hand side of his pants, running length wise on the side of his thigh, were the two stripes that acted as a holster for Gun. Unlike the first version of Gun, the one Matrix once carried, Garrison's version resembled the Desert Eagle Six Inch. Lacking the optical targeting of Matrix's gun, Garrison was still a sure shot with his own version. All the top security personal carried some version of Gun now that they were bereft of their key tools. AndrAIa watched him until a vid window popped up, diverting his attention.

"I'll have Tronnie bring you something to fix in the mean time." Caster gave her a goofy grin as the FBS Chamber lowered, sealing AndrAIa off from everyone else.

--- (Two seconds later)

"Whoa, you look pretty beat up there." A tech Guardian said as Garrison limped into the room.

"Yeah, me, my team and your not-so-new Snake Coil." The blue skinned sprite held up what use to be a rifle looking weapon. The Snake Coil was a weapon recently designed to compensate for the lack of key tools. Like its name suggests, it shot out a constricting beam of collapsing coils used to bind viruses.

"That was new!" Tronnie blurted out. "I gave that to you this morning!"

"Two program viruses, and three worms. One of which almost upgraded to a metazoan class." Garrison said in glum response to the mutilated weapon.

Joules whistled appreciatively from her workstation.

"That was one unsafe system." Joules took the Snake Coil from Garrison and poked at the exposed wires. 

"It was indeed. No viral warning programs or viral deletion programs at all. Not even one of those primative Viral Erase Command." Garrison rotated a shoulder and winced as he felt one of his many cuts open again. "That's only one of many to come. Lots of equipment got scrapped today, but everyone came back safe." The military sprite leaned wearily against a table and looked down at Gun.

"Eagle." He said, and normally, it would have flown into his left hand. This time though, the ruined weapon sputtered fizzing gouts of blue-gold liquid before hanging lopsidedly from the holster bands. 

"Only AndrAIa can fix those." Joules reached for the weapon and held it carefully. "It looks like something bit it!" She traced a finger along the fracture and gave it to Tronnie.

"The worm virus. Almost took my hand with it too." Garrison removed the armored glove on his left hand and flexed his fingers. He reached for his weapon.

"I can bring this to her. You should go right to Caster." Tronnie motioned for two of the sprites in her team to assist the head of the Academy and Viral teams.

"I'll make it." He waved the other two off, and behind him the door opened and four other tech sprites came in with each an armful of broken equipment. Garrison stood aside as the room became abuzz with whirling repair tools. 

"Well, better check on my men." He turned and left the 'geeks' the Guardian Collective to their devices.

--

"I was wondering when you would show up. You must have been leaking energy all over the Super Computer." Caster said as Garrison limped into the infirmary. 

"How were the others?" Garrison groaned as he pushed himself up on a diagnostic table.

"Just about as bad as you." Caster said while scanning the other sprite for internal injuries. "Most are healing in their quarters. Lie down, I'll get you back on your feet and back to work in less than a nano."

--

"Well, here's some more stuff that needs fixing." Tronnie placed a box load of shattered tools into the small opening in the FBS Chamber. "Will you be busy for the next little while?"

"I think so." AndrAIa picked up a weapon and frowned as it began to puff out smoke. She opened a small panel on the side and peered inside.

"Garrison's Eagle was also damaged." The head tech sprite carefully passed the weapon to AndrAIa. "A worm virus bit it. Joules took a look at it but couldn't make out the programming used for it."

"Eagle: Disassemble." AndrAIa commanded after placing the weapon on the table.

Like before, Eagle malfunctioned. It whirled, and sparks flew from the fractures. From the nozzle, a blue, gold liquid leaked out.

"Is that safe?" Tronnie said dubiously.

"When any Gun becomes damaged to such a point, the circuitry between the firing mechanism and power generator self-destructs, as to prevent any misfires. The liquid is harmless. I also created a failsafe that neutralizes the power generator for ammo to prevent any chance of a Gun exploding. That's the liquid, think of it as a fire retardant, and it also means this thing will need a new generator." Taking a screwdriver looking tool, she forcefully pried apart the separate parts of Eagle.

Tronnie sat and watched the game sprite work. She had a quarter of a cycle before her break was over.

"Where did you learn how to make those?" Tronnie watched AndrAIa begin to remove the destroyed parts.

Without looking up, AndrAIa responded.

"In the early days of my game hopping, around the time Enzo started to shape the identity he believed he needed to take down Megabyte, we came across a war torn system. Our game landed on the side of the renegade sprites, and they were kind enough to take us in. The Renegades tried to help us back into the Games as soon as possible, but we were ambushed and many of the renegade sprites and binomes were deleted. Matrix became angry and wanted to stay and fight, so we did. We spent a good two minutes there, and in the end, it was Matrix who took down the leader of the opposition. That system really shaped him, it's part of the reason why he called himself a renegade in the first place." AndrAIa stopped and discarded a burned part. "You wouldn't happen to have a CWP Integrator would you?" She asks.

Tronnie blinked and cleared her throat. 

"We should." Tronnie pushed a few buttons on her wrist computer, checked the inventory and sent a read-me back to Engineering 

"A few more things." AndrAIa said. "I'm sending you a list of things I need." She clicked on the communication panel on the table, tapped into the read-me Tronnie was sending and sent a list of parts she needed before fixing other parts of Eagle.

"Anyway, the leader had a very powerful firearm and Matrix took it. The gun was self-recharging and self-repairing to a point; something that no sprite in the system, knew how to create or duplicate. No one there could understand how it worked, but I eventually figured it out. A few systems later, I found codes for creating voice-activated programs. Codes similar to those used in the key tools. It was completely incompatible with the gun, but after a minute or so of code tweaking, I got it to work. Matrix had his bionic eye by then, and a few systems later we found a way to link the eye and Gun together. As a side result, the eye linked Gun with Enzo's code and that's why he can use it in the games after he reboots. 

"The voice-activated programming accepts two users. Since, it is I who builds and programs in the commands into any Gun it permanently imprint my voice as the dominant user. Matrix, and every Guardian that has a Gun are considered a secondary user." AndrAIa sighed and rubbed her temples. "Good thing too. Or else we would have had two dead Guardians four minutes ago."

Tronnie's pressed her lips into a line. She knew all about what had happened in Mainframe.

"Do you ever talk to him?" She asked the game sprite.

"I've talked to just about everyone else in Mainframe. But not him, not yet anyway." The other woman replied while pulling out another damaged piece to fix it.

A double-sided vid window opened between Tronnie and AndrAIa and a male tech sprite came on.

"Ma'am. We got the parts." Below the main vid window, a smaller window opened. Through it, the tech sprite passed on the needed parts to AndrAIa.

"Thanks, Cain." AndrAIa said before closing the window.

Within a few milliseconds, AndrAIa deftly repaired the Gun.

"Eagle: Assemble. Sleep mode." She picked up Eagle and handed it to Tronnie. "The new power generator needs to charge itself. Garrison can't use Eagle for the next seven seconds. If he does, Eagle will be permanently damaged."

The tech nodded and hooked Eagle to her belt.

"So, no episodes yet?" Tronnie closed the opening in the Chamber and glanced briefly at her watch. She had a bit more time to spare.

AndrAIa sighed.

"Not yet. I'm not really complaining I'm just a little bored."

"Well, when you're finished those, I can bring you…" Tronnie stopped. AndrAIa's pupils suddenly dilated and she had gone a couple of shades paler. Quickly, Tronnie tapped on her wrist computer and opened a window to Caster.

"Caster. AndrAIa's…"

"I know. I'm here. I'll take it from here, you can go" Caster said behind her as he came barging into the room. "AndrAIa, get on the scanner." 

Tronnie watched mutely for half a milli before leaving the room. Caster was a top medic, and AndrAIa defined the word 'survivor,' so Tronnie wasn't worried… too much.

"Tronnie!" 

She turned and saw Garrison hobbling after her with a crutch. 

"Caster fixed you up pretty quickly." She shifted her weight to one hip and smiled. "Eagle's fixed by the way. Just don't use it for the next seven seconds."

"Thanks." Garrison took Eagle and placed the 'sleeping' weapon back onto its holster. "Say, were you just with Andi?" 

She nodded. "AndrAIa was a little bored. I brought those things you trashed for her to fix."

"Oh," the injured sprite looked towards the room that the game sprite was in, "Caster made me go on mandatory rest period for three seconds. I'll spend them with her… I guess."

Tronnie fought the urge to make a bad facial expression. "Maybe not now, I think she just started seeing those web creatures again." She started walking down the hall, and Garrison hobbled quickly behind.

There was a long silence between the two department heads before Tronnie continued talking.

"I wouldn't consider anything with her you know." She stopped; engineering was just around the corner. "She likes you well enough…"

"Yes, I know. No relationships within the Collective." He said simply.

She sighed. "Not that." The tech turned and faced the military sprite. "It'll be hard for you to understand… but." She struggled for the right words, but came up unsuccessful. She looked at him carefully. To her, he bore no resemblance to Matrix. He was just, Garrison. Tronnie graduated from the Academy two hours before Garrison, but had watched the promising young Guardian ascend the ranks within the Collective. He became head of the Academy at the same time she became head of Engineering. Tronnie always thought he was better suited as Head of Security and Viral Incident teams instead of Academy, but at the same time, Tronnie knew Garrison was a stickler for quality sprites. As head of the Academy, he could ensure that. AndrAIa, however, had commented on how Garrison reminded her of Matrix. Or at least, what she wished Matrix could be; strong willed but compassionate. Tronnie had listened to the ex-Mainframer debate over Garrison. He made her feel at home, and more herself, but it was just different. 

Garrison politely cleared his throat, trying to get Tronnie's attention back.

"Huh? Oh sorry. My processor went idle." She pondered her next action with Garrison. "Has she ever told you why she left Mainframe?"

The male sprite shook his head, his chrome hair shifting slightly. 

"I ask, but she doesn't tell me." He said disappointedly. Garrison had been deleting to know, but never really pushed for the answer.

Tronnie gave a small sigh. Her wrist computer told her she was almost a cycle late. She probably shouldn't tell him, seeing to how AndrAIa had not told him herself. But it probably would be better for him in the end.

"Let's go into my office." She said finally.


	5. History

Probably what most of you have been waiting for. Why oh why did Andi and Matrix break up? All here. All 10 pages. Good luck! And btw, I have problems with commitment and it really shines here. Shines like a star! Unfortunately, I only have part of the next chapter written. (And right when I was getting to the POINT of my fanfic. Read Into the web to satisfy a little bit of your craving.)

"What are you fellas still doin' here?"

Tiron, a brown skinned Medic Guardian, looked up sharply at the voice that suddenly came from behind.

"Mouse!" He exclaimed, visibly caught off guard. "I didn't here you come!"

Mouse fluttered her electric orange eyelashes. 

"Why, thank you sugar. It's been a while since I used my hackin' skills. Glad I still got them." 

"Mouse." Another friendly male voice said. "So here is the one who put those codes around Mainframe." It was Jasker, another Medic Guardian.

"Nice to know work still goes recognized." Mouse flashed the Guardian a winning smile and looked about. "Now, what's going on here? Ray just shipped a bunch of you Guardians back to the Super Computer. Did ya miss the call?"

"'Fraid so." Tiron said as he closed his med kit. "We came here with the Guardian Repair crews. We needed to check on Bob's energy level"

"But the slaggin' sprite took off on us." Jasker muttered unpleasantly. "We only managed to complete our scans last half cycle."

Mouse shifted her weight on one hip. "That sprite gets more squeamish of you docs as the seconds pass. Well, when Ray gets back, I'll be sure to let you guys know." The icon suddenly felt her stomach rumble. "Well, I'm off to Dot's; Want me to grab you two some fast food?"

"Thanks, but Andraia went to get some shakes from Dot's a little earlier." Tiron replied.

"Well, I'll be seeing you then." Mouse winked and play-saluted the Guardians before sashaying her way out of the med bay.

The med lab door opened again and Andraia strolled in with a carton tray of drinks.

"Sorry it took so long. Cecil was giving me the run around." She handed out the drinks and looked around.

The med lab was a temporary set up. Originally a two level hanger bay, the area was converted into a work base for repairs of all sorts. Since Mainframe was only mildly damaged, Guardians were only needed in Mainframe for a few minutes after the Daemon wars. Now, the Guardian equipment had been moved out and ported back to the Super Computer along with all of the Guardians stationed in Mainframe except for Tiron and Jasker.

"It's going to be a lot quieter without you guys here now." Andraia said.

"Is that relief I hear?" Tiron said between slurps of his energy shake. Next to him, Jasker had scrunched his eyes as he experienced a processor freeze.

"Of course not!" Andraia slapped Tiron playfully on the shoulder. "I'm going to miss those Guardian second long parties you have after every repaired application."

"You should really come with us." Tiron said.

Andraia sighed. She wanted too. Even if it was just for a second.

"No, my place is here." She said regretfully.

"You're wasting your skill here. There's nothing left to fix." Tiron said before finishing off the last of his shake.

Andraia didn't respond immediately. A lot of the denizens of Mainframe had asked if she was going to go. Even Mouse and Dot had encouraged her a little. But she couldn't. She wasn't allowed. A shadow of sadness passed over her, but when Jasker suddenly gave a loud belch, her face cleared up and she thought nothing more of it.

"I can always work on ways to upgrade Mainframe. You know, see what that system reboot really did for us." Her wristwatch beeped and flashed red. "Oh, I've got to meet Dot. If I don't see you before Ray takes you back, then thank you for all of your help." The game sprite leaned forward and kissed both sprites on the cheek before leaving.

 "I wish she would come to the Super Computer."

"You, me and a dozen other Guardians Tiron. But she won't. I think it's got something to do with Matrix."

"Without a doubt. That is one sprite who's happy about us leaving." Tiron said a bit disdainfully.

By now, both sprites had finished packing and were heading out while continuing their talk of women, key tools, and whatever Guardians spoke of when danger wasn't imminent.

Above, on the second level, a red (X) began to glow brightly. He had watched the exchange between the Guardians and Andraia. This is why he expressed his disapproval over Andraia going to the Super Computer. Over the past few minutes with the Guardians in his home, he had watched and glowered at each Guardian male who got too close to Andraia.

He was extremely annoyed. Matrix had always been highly protective of his childhood friend-turned lover, but during his game hopping hours they could, and would always leave the system. If Matrix believed some sprite was a threat to him and Andraia, he need only to tolerate them for a few seconds at most before leaving the lecherous sprite in whatever misbegotten system they lived in. But now, he couldn't just leave for another system. Whoever was a threat to him and Andraia would be around for seconds on end, and he resented that. 

The passing minutes after Daemon were troubling for him for all was mostly calm and well. There was no virus or problem for sprites' attention's to be focused on, so attentions wandered. Thus he had to follow Andraia around as much as possible. He needed to protect her, but she often made it harder with her own behavior. Like those kisses.

Matrix tipped Gun over and looked at the watch strapped to it. For the next few cycles, Andraia would be safe with Dot. He wondered when Ray would be back to take the last two Guardians back. He hoped it wasn't too long of a time for him to wait before he would be finally rid of them. Silently, with Gun still in hand, he made his way out of the deserted bay.

Andraia wasn't paying attention to what was happening. Specky was talking in his usual nervous tone yet again, and Dot was reclined in her chair busily taking notes. Phong, Bob and some other binomes were present, but Andraia couldn't concentrate. She shifted in her seat and glanced at her watch. Only a quarter of a cycle had passed.

Another binome, a round one, talked now. Of what? The game sprite couldn't care less. With a sudden shove, Andraia pushed her chair back and stood up.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling well." She said quickly. "I think I need some air."

"My child, what is the matter?" Phong moved to stand, but Andraia gestured him back.

"I just need some air. I didn't get much downtime and it's pretty stuffy in here." She quickly said while backing towards the exit."

"I'd scan you to see what's wrong, but those Medic Guardians said I had to preserve my energy levels." Bob said. "Maybe you could go see them instead." He suggested helpfully.

Andraia smiled a little too suddenly. "Good idea bob." And she left before anyone could say something else.

She found them sitting on the platform below where the tear energy was encased. Andraia smiled and laughed half a cycle away with them before a vid window popped open in front of her. For a second she tensed and glanced to make sure Tiron and Jasker were out of the way of the window, but when she saw it was just Phong, she relaxed.

"Are you feeling better my child?" He asked while pushing his glasses up.

"Yes, everything checks out. Just tired I guess. Sorry for the scare." Andraia said.

"No need to apologize." Phone tented his fingers for a second before continuing. "Is there something you would like to talk about young one?"

"Oh no. Phong, what gave you that idea?" She stammered out nervously.

"It just seemed…" Phong began. 

"It's nothing Phong. Really, everything is okay." She smiled weakly.

Phong pursed his lips. "Very well. Should you want to talk, I will be here."

"Thanks Phong." Andraia clicked the window closed and turned back to the Guardians. "Guess I should be going now. Thanks again." She left quickly on her zip board and boarded down to the water park. She circled the play area slowly, loosing herself in happy memories and thoughts.

"Distracted huh?" A voice jolts her out of her thoughts and she wheeled around to face the voice.

"Enzo!" She said, more out of relief than shock.

The young boy hurled a ball as far as he could and watched Frisket bark after it.

"It's not fair that I will eventually go to the Super Computer while you have to stay here. You deserve it more than me." He finally said.

Andraia twitched her lip and ruffled the boy's hair before leading him to sit on a park bench.

"I choose to stay here Little Sparky."

"No, he makes you say." The boy replied darkly.

"No, no. He doesn't make me do anything. Matrix loves me, and I have to respect his wishes." She said while watching Frisket chase the park birds.

"Andi, I'm not so young that I don't understand the obvious. I don't like how he controls you. It's not right. It's not me." Enzo said as he started down at his limp hands.

Andraia sighed. "What makes you think he controls me?"

"Look at the way he treats you. At first, I figure he's just protective of you because you and Frisket were all he had. But ever since Daemon," Enzo paused to search for the right words, "he hovers around you."

Andraia turned to him and ran her hands over his hair. "He just loves me, and wants to protect me."

"You can protect yourself better than he can protect himself I think." He clenched his hands into loose fists before continuing. "And you guys have been fighting pretty bad at night haven't you."

Andraia stilled her hand. 

"Why do you say that?"

Enzo suddenly turned to her and puffs up his lean chest while pointing his thumbs at himself and grinning. 

"You're talking to the sprite who played a major role in defeating Daemon!" As suddenly as his jovial mood appeared, it disappeared, and he continued in a solemn tone. "Frisket started to come and stay with me during the nights to avoid your fighting. I figured out from him."

The game sprite sighed. "Yes, we've been having a lot of fights lately. He just can't stand me being with other sprites." She paused as Enzo threw the ball Frisket retrieved. "I don't know why though. I would never betray him. I want him to come with me. I wish he would understand that and trust me."

The older sprite looked up at the water park where she and Matrix had played in when they were young, and before the games.

She continued.

"Sometimes, when I argue back, he'll say he's sorry, and he had made a mistake in not trusting me. He'll promise not to lash out at the sprites he thinks will take me away from him. But he never keeps his word. A few seconds, maybe, he'll leave me alone and he'll even try to become friends with the sprites I talk too, but always, his jealously and possessiveness takes over."

Andraia stopped talking, but Enzo remained quiet. She was releasing a minutes worth of frustration and Enzo knew there would be more.

"He's promised me fourteen times. I've been counting." She said dryly. "Dot, Mouse, Bob and the rest of them know we fight, but I think they don't say anything because of what he had to go through in the games. They give him leeway, and a lot of it. Plus, because everyone is so grateful of him for bringing Bob back no one criticizes him."

Enzo tilted his head up and watched her tortured still expression. His eyes widen as he say tears form at the corner of her eyes, but before they fall, her head jerks up and she stares sharply at the Office. Frisket had also stopped his chase of birds and stared at the Office with both ears perked up.

"What is it?" Enzo asked as he squinted his eyes in the effort to make out what was happening at the office.

Whatever it was, it happened again and Andraia and Frisket were off racing to the Office.

"Stay away from her!" Matrix growled. Gun's barrel smoked, hot from two shots fired previously.

Tiron stood squarely in front of the enraged green sprite. Behind him and Jasker were two scorch marks on the ground.

"She came to us; it was her choice." Tiron said in a low voice.

"Then next time, move away." Matrix towered over the other sprite, but Tiron would not back down.

"How can you treat her like that? What? Without a big bad virus or game for you to fight, you don't have any other way to prove yourself a normal sprite except by pushing around sprites who just want to talk with her?" Jasker said vehemently.

Matrix's bionic eye whirled, stopped and glowed red.

"Stay away." Matrix said between clenched teeth.

Tiron jabbed a finger angrily into the renegade's black vest.

"It is you who should stay away from her." He spat back.

Matrix snapped and roared. He slammed his right fist into the Medic's stomach, doubling him over before back fisting him in the jaw and sending him sprawling backwards. He held his right hand out and Gun flew into it.

"Matrix! Stop!" Bob landed between Matrix and the fallen Tiron.

"Out of my way Bob. This is my problem." Matrix snarled.

"You will never be a Guardian Matrix! Look at yourself you don't deserve it. You would be a disgrace to the Guardian Collective." Jasker yelled as he ran a scanner over Tiron's midsection.

Matrix shoved Bob aside and Bob fell to the ground with a surprised yelp.

"Gun," Matrix snarled, "targe…"

"Gun!" Came a clear voice.

The pistol ripped itself from Matrix's hand.

"Who?" Matrix turned. "Andraia!"

Andraia stood on her zip board, Gun firmly clutched in her hand. Her eyes flashed to the blast marks behind Tiron and Jasker and returned quickly to Matrix. Her chest heaved with the strain of remaining calm.

"I have had enough." She said.

Matrix stared stupidly at her, but from the corner of his eye he saw Tiron move.

"Gun!" He said, and Gun left Andraia, albeit slower than before, and returned to his hand. He pointed it, his hand shaking.

"Gun: Disassemble." Andraia said simply, and watched Gun break into individual pieces in Matrix's hand.

"I've had enough Enzo. You've gone too far."

Matrix turned to her, but said nothing. His vision shifted from her and the pieces of Gun at his feet. She was still talking, but he didn't hear. Gun lay shattered at his feet. It represented something. It represented him. Matrix's mind worked slowly, and he didn't hear her till the fateful last words.

"This is it Enzo. I'm not staying with you like this."

By now, Mouse, Phong Dot and little Enzo and Frisket were there as well. Andraia was quiet as she watched her former lover compute what just happened.

"Andi? No!" Matrix's mind finally grasped the consequences of his actions. "No! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Just a mistake and it'll only happen this once. I promise, I'll change." He moved towards her, hands outstretched and desperation seeped deep in his voice.

Andraia had stepped off of her zip board, and had turned away from him. She heard all his please and promises, but she knew that this would only be broken promise number fifteen. He kept making promises, and he kept lying.

The game sprite closed her eyes and fought the urge to cover her ears as she walked away. But he persisted. So, in one fluid movement, she spun. Her aquamarine hair whipped around and she felt the tears from before surge back. She extended one hand towards Matrix, and out shot two spines from her fingertips.

Not expecting the move, Matrix felt his ex-lover's nails lightly score the side of his neck. But a scratch was all that was needed. He dropped on his knees, his eyes rolled back and he fell forward unconscious.

There was silence as all stared at the unconscious sprite.

"He'll be back online in half a second." Andraia said softly. Her eyes threatened to brim over.

From above, the sphere containing the core energy created tears opened and no sooner was it converted into a portal did the Surfr ride out.

"Well mates, I'm back to pick up the stragglers." Ray said before comprehending the situation.

"Oh... Kay." Ray surveyed the scene and said nothing more.

Phong rolled forward and punched some code into a data pad. Another tear was generated.

"Ah, the Guardians are ready to go." Phong said.

"Hmm." Ray looked at Mouse, hoping for a clue to what had passed. When she shook her head slightly, he figured it was probably a bad time. "Well then, saddle up boys. You're going home."

"Andi's going with you too Surfr." Enzo said suddenly.

Ray looked about. No one objected.

"More the merrier I guess."

He, as all the others watched the normally happy sprite make her way solemnly to the net surfing pod, which Tiron and Jasker were already in.

"Mainframe will always be your home my child." Phong said as the young woman passed him.

When Matrix awoke, stripped of his Guardian Protocol, in the infirmary, all the sprites of Mainframe were with him. But even so, among all these sprites, and in his very home, he was alone.

After, no one spoke much of what happened. Matrix retreated into Lost Angles, Bob and the others silently realized each of them had turned a blind eye to Matrix's possessive behavior during the last few minutes. Each tried to ignore his dangerously volatile attitude in order to retain the heroic image all had come to have after Megabyte and Daemon, and all at the expense of the most loyal, loving and forgiving sprite in all of the Net. 

Enzo stayed quietly out of the way. At first, when he heard of Matrix's glories in battle, all he wanted was to grow and be as strong as him. But he never had first hand knowledge of Matrix's victories, and was less blinded by the hero image when Matrix began to snap at other sprites. It angered him that all the other sprites and binomes of Mainframe ignored matrix all because they couldn't picture matrix other than a gun blazing warrior. And now, Andi had left. He hoped she was better there, and that maybe she would eventually return, but that was a hope only to be fulfilled far into the future.


	6. An alliance is formed, and the Guardians...

Wow! I'm actually writing lots! And I have more to come! Right, happy reading. FD.

            "And that's what happened. She said she hasn't talked to him yet either."

            "So she's not really ready for someone else. Okay, I understand." Garrison sighed inwardly. He had figured as much.

            "It's more than that. Give her time. I think Andraia is still young in her heart. She spent her years growing up with only one sprite. She'll always be fiercely loyal to Matrix, but having to see that side possessive of him in front of her friends and family made her understand that sprites can't act like that. In you, she sees the type of sprite she likes, and wants. In the Super Computer, where only Guardians can call it home, you make her feel comfortable. Not only that, but she spent enough time around you to connect and become friends. You're not just another sprite in some distant system that she will have to forget about once the next game cube falls." Tronnie skewed her lip in pity. "You are her friend, and one of the closest friends she's had since Matrix. Take pride in that, and don't feel bad. Like I said, she's young." The tech shifted her chair and turned off the private lock she had placed over her office; she didn't want anyone interrupting her talk with Garrison. As soon as she did, a vid window popped open.

            "All head security personnel please come to the War Room immediately." 

            It was an automated message from Turbo half a cycle ago.

            "User cursed! Jarrel's going to nullify me!" 

But before Tronnie had a chance to say bye, the security Guardian shot out of her office.

"Uh… bye?"

            "We cannot fight it. It somehow bears the code of weblife." Lore said. He was one of three Web Codemasters that had emerged from a rift they created to enter the Super Computer three quarters of a cycle ago. To his side, Corral, another Codemaster hissed at the blank looks Turbo and the other Guardians gave them.

            "Unlike the Net," Corral's metallic lisping voice dripped hostility, "the Web is a place of unity. No creature of the Web can harm others of the Web. Now, we can barely defend ourselves from the web whales. The Invader has infected our web kin, changed their codes so that they can attack us, but we cannot attack them. They retain enough of the Web so that we cannot defend and fight them back, yet they have been changed enough so they can attack us." The Codemaster paused. His ever-shifting scaled obsidian exoskeleton bristled. "For the first time in all history, we fled from battle. We fled to the lower caste of Codemasters, the Codemasters of the Net. We went for sanctuary and for aid in battle. Yet little help they provided." Corral lifted his Gibson coiled pike, and pointed it forward. From the purple red globe at the top, a hologram emitted. A silent battle scene replayed for the Codemasters and Guardians. "As you can see, while their code is different enough that they can fight the Invader's forces, they cannot withstand the Web. They degrade severely, and they are incompatible with the upgrades we provided to them to try to withstand the Web."

            Rom, a female Codemaster spoke up.

            "We have been exiled from the Web for many minutes. Every time we tried to go home, the forces of the Invader were on us in an instant. Our numbers were decimated from the many time we tried to enter back into the Web. We have spent all this time trying to get back, yet to no avail." 

            Turbo nodded, but pointed at part of the hologram.

            "What is that? Replay that."

            It was a brief glimpse of a gigantic green, black, and purple mass.

            "The Invader. We believe he is of the Net, yet he is in control of the Web in more ways than we can comprehend. The pods of web whales, which are usually peaceful unless exposed to the Net, throw themselves against us." Lore said sadly.

            The War Room door hissed open and Garrison rushed in. He doubled backed and automatically reached for Eagle, but Turbo refrained him. 

            "You're late. They aren't here to cause trouble." Turbo turned back to Lore. "Please continue."

            "We come to you Guardians for an alliance in war. We have exhausted all ways to return to the Web and deal with this problem ourselves, yet we fail. We believe you are the only other warrior class capable of fighting." Lore opened his arms and dipped his elongated head in the Codemaster sign of appeal. "Help us, and in return, we will ensure that no creature of the Web shall ever enter the Net. We will provide you with ways to contact us, and if such an instant should ever occur call us so we may rectify the problem without destroying the Net system."            

            Turbo glanced at the other Guardians in the room. If he agreed to go to war, and they won, that would mean they would never have to destroy another system because of a stray web creature. Garrison had moved closer to the hologram that still played.

            "That is a virus. I recognize those abilities. It matches a virus." Garrison pointed to part of the image.

            "Then you must help us. Virals," Corral spat out the word in pure disgust, his voice rising as he continued to talk. "do not originate from the Web. Nothing that corrupt could come from the Web. They are disgusting creatures of the Net!" Corral roared loudly and aimed his pike at Garrison. The tip flared an angry purple light.

            Lore grabbed the end of Corral's pike and pushed it down.

            "No!" Lore shifted his large, bugged eyes over to the Guardians and then back to Corral. When he continued talking, it was in the eerie beeping and clicking speech of the Web.       

            We want them to help! The Guardians are the only other battle force large enough capable of the battle ahead!

            Corral snarled.

            Invader is of the Net! It is them that allowed that abomination to enter our home! Virals are our mortal enemy, and virals are a creation of the Net! Time after time I urged the brotherhoods to wipe clean the scourge that is the Net, but always, I was denied. Now you see I was right. Do you dare forget the destruction of life that has occurred? As Codemasters we were to guard the life! 

            Lore narrowed his eyes, and his own pike sparked to life.

            I am of a higher brotherhood than you. My responsibilities in the Web far outreached yours. My shame far outreaches yours. War on the Net is not an issue for discussion now, or ever. Calm yourself or I will throw you to the Invader myself. Lore turned back to the Guardians and released Corral's pike. His own pike retracted and was placed on his hip. The disarmed master made the gesture of appeal again before continuing to speak normally.

            "I apologize for Corral's behavior. All Codemasters were once protectors of various sectors of the Web. Within those sectors were thousands of beings. Since the Invader has come, many of those beings have been slaughtered or sequestered to the Invader. It shames us greatly that we could not safeguard the life entrusted to us."

            Jarrel raised an eyebrow. He never envisioned Web Codemasters as protectors. Their Net counterparts were virtually mercenaries for hire. 

            "You have our help." Turbo said. "If it is a virus, then Guardians are involved."

            Rom pointed her staff at Turbo's icon and a small burst of soft purple light shot out and entered the Prime Guardian's icon.

            "I have uploaded you with the ability to resist the Web. You should be compatible." She said flatly.

            Turbo hesitantly double clicked his icon, and from it spread a silver-purple coating. It webbed itself over Turbo's body and formed a blue shielding around his eyes and nose. He clicked his icon again and the webbing retracted. He nodded and Corral, Lore and Rom went around the room uploading the program into the other Guardians.

            "I'll call my teams together and have them bring weapons from the Armory. I'll draw up a battle plan in the mean time." Garrison said while testing out his web shielding.

            "Weapons will degrade. Ensure your key tools are fully charged. That is the only tool you will be able to have that will not degrade in the web." Lore said in response.

            There was an odd silence in the room, but then Turbo spoke.    

            "We do not have our key tools. They left us when a super virus managed to infect the Guardian core."   

            The masters dropped their gaze to Turbo's bare arm, and suddenly, Turbo felt very naked.

            "They haven't returned to us since." Jarrel rubbed his arm and clenched his fist.

            "Then they are gone. Key tools fragment apart without a Guardian to bond too." Corral said thoughtfully before raising his pike and scanning Jarrel.

            A second round of silence ensued as the metallic master scanned the Guardian.

            "Guardians, you believe yourself to be so advanced, yet your knowledge is so limited." Corral said, amusement tinted his serpent speech. "The code you exchanged with your key tool still remains in you. They key tools must have known they would not be able to return to you in time. From the dormant code left in you, a key tool may be reborn."

            Lore extended his pike, spun it and from one end a purple shaft of light emerged. He drove it quickly into Jarrel's chest before anyone could react.

            Turbo raised his hand and shouted for his gun.

            "No!" Jarrel gripped his right arm and shouted at Turbo to stop. As Turbo lowered his weapon, he watched in shock as particles of light emerged from Jarrel's arm and coalesced into a key tool.

            "Golren!" Jarrel gasped, and when the key tool whirled and clicked in greeting Jarrel stood up straighter. "We are one."

            Lorna, the female Guardian who took over as head of Internal Security in the Super Computer after Daecon, tapped her fingers on her leg.

            "Many of the Guardians who died fighting in the Daemon wars had key tools…" She left the sentence hanging, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

            "Then they are lost." Lore said sadly. Key tools were very much revered by the Codemasters.   

            Turbo turned his attention away from Jarrel and Golren. Though many key tools would now be forever lost, Turbo saw there was indeed hope.

            "Round up all the Guardians that had key tools. Have them meet in the plenary hall. Have Bob gather up any Guardians currently stationed in other systems that use to have key tools. I want him to portal them back here. I want all scanners sweeping the Web for viral signatures." Turbo turned to Garrison. "Garrison, draw up that battle plan. Within the next two seconds I want all key tools returned, and I want Guardian forces prepared to enter the Web."


	7. Visions of viruses, invasions and doom

Celebration rocked the Guardian Collective. The elation of the Guardians boiled over, and an impromptu party had been created. Rom sat in the far corner with a group of Codemasters and ignored the party. The Guardians would be their way home, but it was strange for them to place such faith in a group that had proven themselves to be so young.

            The female master had lost her web sector to the Invader early on, and was among the first sisterhoods to be annihilated by it. Rom closed her large purple-black eyes and relaxed. Her web senses expanded outwards into the Super Computer. She saw the Academy, and a group of foolish cadets battling in a holodeck. She felt the electrical buzz of the Super Computer core, and she saw virals being placed into the deletion chambers. Rom focused on this image, but before she could smile smugly to herself she felt something. She focused on the feeling, concentrating her senses on it. Something was familiar here; a code was familiar, and without a word of warning she tore open a rift in the Net and headed towards the code.

Andraia walked towards the tech bay. Caster had released her after placing a neural inhibitor on the back of her neck to block the images. Andraia sighed and itched at her neck. The small disk latched onto her skin constantly buzzed and made her neck feel numb. 

            "You are not a Guardian." Rom said when she emerged from the rift behind Andraia. At Andraia's startled body language, the master retracted her pike and dipped her head. "Be calm. I am a Web Codemaster and the Guardians have no objections to my presence. I am not here to harm." Rom took a tentative step forward, and her dread locked hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned closer to Andraia. "You are very special. I have only seen such interesting coding once." 

            "I am a game sprite. AI class, but I left the games a long time ago." Andraia had backed up and her arm fins had extended.

            Rom cocked her head.

            "In one of my pods, I had a young web whale. He was different, extremely intelligent and he contained strange code. May I scan you? It will not hurt you."

            Andraia nodded and the master's pike emitted a soft purple light over her body. Andraia guess that had she refused, the master would have scanned her anyway. 

            "The code was from you. A web whale was birthed from your code." Rom said after the scan was done.

            Andraia absently touched her arm where she had been bitten during her journey into the Web.

            "Yes, I was bitten by a web creature, and it took my code."

            Rom scratched her head with her long fingers.   

            "You should have been deleted. While web life does not need Net energy to grow, it attracts them and the absorption of Net energy acts as a catalyst for their growth. But you," Rom pointed at the game sprite "should not have survived."

            "A Guardian rebuilt the code I had lost." Andraia rubbed the back of her neck.

            "Special you are indeed. A game sprite out of a game who survived a code drain." Rom's voice hinted admiration.

            Andraia nodded, and a thought came to her.

            "I think the sea whale and I are connected. I was seeing things; a web creature, and I was talking to it. I thought I was dreaming. I have an inhibitor blocking the images, but maybe…" The game sprite stopped when the Codemaster's eyes to widened to unnatural sizes.

            "What are you…"? Her words were cut off as she prepared to defend herself from Rom, who had raised her pike and slashed her with it. Andraia proved no match, the Codemaster was far too fast and she felt a jolt of energy surge though her.

            The energy roared into her brain at first, and then she felt the inhibitor overload and fall away from her neck. Instantly, she felt as if a dam had broken in her mind. A flood of images washed over her, and the sprite sank to the ground clutching her head.

            "What do you see? What do you see?" Rom asked desperately. 

            Andraia only shook her head in mute response. It was a backlog of messages from the web creature. Andraia had no idea that she had subconsciously fought the images for many minutes now. Only after constant exhaustion and emotional unwell being had the web creature finally punched through her mental defenses. The images and messages rushed passed her mind's eye. She caught glimpses of fleeting images; images of death and infection. She saw a search engine floating dead in the web. Its carapace had been sundered open. Her vision rushed forward into the engine, and she saw a search engine sprite being absorbed by something… Green skull? But before she remembered the significance, she saw something else.

            "Oh, User." Andraia looked up at Rom, fear in her eyes.           

            "What do you see? What did the web whale show you? Is his pod still alive?" Rom held Andraia tightly by her shoulders.         

            "I need to talk to Turbo." Andraia said bluntly.

            Rom gripped the sprite's hand and with her other, she ripped a hole in the Net and dragged Andraia to the Prime Guardian.

            "Sensors are having problems scanning the Web, sir. But, the images we have gotten show us that the viral's forces seem to be relatively small, and now that we have our key tools, we should be able to clean up the Web fairly quickly." Jarrel said.

            Turbo nodded.

            "We've also guaranteed ourselves that systems will never have to be destroyed because of a stray web creature."

            A rift opened in Turbo's office, and Rom charged through it dragging Andraia behind her.

            "An attack!…" Andraia stopped and looked up as klaxons went off.

            Turbo looked down at Copeland.

            "Command! Report!" He ordered.

            "Distress calls, sir! From all over the Net!" The reply came from a frantic sounding Guardian.

            "Turbo," Andraia pushed his arm down and saw Copeland. "Oh, hey, you got your key tool back!"

            "Andraia, not now. I need to know what is happening out there." Turbo firmly moved Andraia out over way, but Rom stopped him.     

            "Guardian, listen to her! She knows what is happening."

            Turbo closed his eyes, took a deep breath and turned back to the ex-Mainframer.

            "Okay Andraia, what is it?"

            Turbo stormed out of his office and into Command Central.

            "Net wide vid window message: This is Prime Guardian Turbo of the Super Computer to every Command.com. Close all ports. Cut all power to the ports and firelock the codes to them. Guardians will be entering your systems via portals to deal with the situation. Seek refuge for the time being." 

            Turbo closed the vid window and contacted Dryden, the web incursion team leader, and Garrison. 

            "Dryden, one incursion team per invaded system. Make sure each team has one key tool bonded Guardian. Work with Garrison to integrate the viral incident teams as well. I want this problem solved. Use people from internal security if you have too." He turned to the Guardians working at Command Central. "Have our scanners picked up the viral in the Web yet?"

            "No sir. We're trying again now."

            In one corner of the Command room, a portal opened and Bob stepped out.

            "What's happening?" Bob stepped back hastily as another Guardian rushed in front of him. Bob looked at Turbo and pointed. "Hey, the key tools are back!"

            "No time to explain. Andraia, tell him." The Prime turned to a work consol and began scanning the status of the Net.

            "There's a virus from the Web on the Net." Andraia started to say.

            "I know that part. Mainframe's got a direct line to the Super Computer. Wait, a virus from the Web? That's not possible. Viruses don't come from the Web…" Bob's sentence trailed off as Andraia continued to speak.

            "The virus has search engine capacities. It got it from a search engine it attacked a while ago. Now its jumping from any system with an open port and leaving a mass of web creatures in them."

            Bob's eyes widened. He knew the protocol for web creatures in a system.

            "Oh no."

            "Don't worry about systems. Too many systems are flooded. The viral, web and internal security teams are on the job." Turbo said from his consol. "How's Mainframe?"

            "Uh, good. Our ports were closed so we weren't invaded."

            "Can Mainframe spare some troops to help us clear some of the systems?" Turbo asked.

            "Yes. We've got some experience in fighting the web too. I'll have them ready in less than half a cycle." 

            The Prime Guardian nodded and sent co-ordinates of the invaded systems to Mainframe after Bob portaled away.

            Andraia sat in her corner booth of the mess hall with her head in her hands. Around her lay the Guns that once belonged to the Guardians with key tools. Now, under the request of Turbo, the Guns had been reprogrammed to accept new Guardians.

            She had been conversing with the web creature, and through the web creature Andraia was able to scan the web using the creature's senses. Rom told her that the Guardians would help the masters reclaim their home, but Andraia saw the true battle force the viral had at its disposal and knew it was far too much for even the Guardians with their key tools. The web creature linked to Andraia, who she now called Harvey, showed her this.

            Andraia groaned.

            "This is bad. This is very bad."

            The Invader, Andraia now knew, was Megabyte. He looked like had mutated and become part web creature. Andraia leaned back in the booth, folded her hands together and called out with her mind.

            _Harvey? Show me what is happening now._

            Harvey appeared in front of her. He now appeared in the shape of seal to calm her mind. He swam head first at her, and when he collided with her, he saw.

            _Mouse?_

            Andraia caught a flash of electric hair, but realizes it is a yellow colour instead of orange. The yellow haired sprite was also mail, and he typed furiously into a workstation. Behind the obviously frightened sprite was Megabyte. Harvey and the other web creatures floated around them. Andraia couldn't hear what they were saying, but when the sprite was done he stood and began demanding something from Megabyte. The mutated viral nodded, outstretched a hand to give something over to the sprite, but instead of payment, Megabyte sent tentacles shooting from his arm and into the sprites body. Andraia flinched in her chair as the sprite deleted.

            Megabyte wrapped his body in tentacles and floated past Harvey. Through Harvey's eyes, Andraia saw Megabyte move into a port. The other web creatures followed and Andraia saw these were more than just the sea whales. Andraia only recognized the M and X classed creatures out of the mass that entered the port. Harvey was the last to enter, but before he did, he paused in front of the portal.

            _That's the…_

_            Super Computer._ Harvey answered sullenly.

            _Megabyte was heading for the Super Computer!_

            Andraia snapped out of her trance and shouted for a vid window.

            "Command!"

            "Andraia, sorry, we're a bit busy…" The lime coloured Guardians said.

            "The ports! Close the ports!" The game sprite screamed as she ran towards the exit.

            "Huh? Oh they are. Don't worry." The Guardian replied.

            But the Guardian was wrong, and explosions rocked the Super computer. Andraia grimaced as her highly sensitive ears picked up the roar of the invading web creatures. Andraia skidded to a stop as a rift opened in front of her, and Rom stepped out.

            "Game sprite, what has happened?"

            "Command! Bring me to Command!" Was her only reply.

            "I was there. The ports are jammed open and the Invader's forces are still coming though. The codes to the ports were hacked and changed. The Guardians cannot close it." Rom hissed as she heard gunfire go off.

            Andraia slapped her forehead. The yellow haired sprite was a hacker. The tech sprite looked down at her leg. Eagle was the only Gun not commissioned to another Guardian. It was still in sleep mode.

            "Bring me to the port. I have a plan."


	8. Plans, plans and more plans Yet, are the...

BOOM!

            "What was that?" Tronnie shouted as she hopelessly tried to keep piles of equipment from tumbling over. She tried to scramble over to a workstation, but Joules was ahead of her.           

            "An explosion in the main power relay room for the ports."

            "How? Those relays are protected with dozens of fail safes! Nothing was wrong with them either!" Tronnie opened a vid window and binary scrolled.

            "My fault." Andraia and Rom had entered Engineering through a rift." The port codes were hacked so the ports would remain open to allow web creatures to come in. I overloaded Eagle and put it into the power conduits."

            Andraia quickly sent out a message to Mainframe. She needed Dot now. When she was done, the game sprite turned to Tronnie.

            "Stop everything and just make sure everyone is armed. I'll be in Command Central."

            "Get me a list of every abandoned system on the Net. How are the viral, web and internal security teams doing? Are they back yet? Make sure Operation: Fish in a Barrel is ready to go in all of the systems that agreed to help. Megabyte thinks those web creatures are those bad file commands he had in Mainframe? Ones that follow him above everything, well, he'll have to process that idea again."

            Andraia had briefed Dot Matrix when Dot was still in her home system. But by the time she had arrived in the Super Computer, Dot had already drawn up plans.

            Turbo and most of the head Guardians were still dealing with the stray web creatures that were still in the Super Computer, and the other Guardians easily took to following Dot's order. They recognized her skill and experience in dealing with viruses as Dot was the Command.com of the last system to withstand Daemon. 

            "You're sure they will be attracted to the Net?" Dot asked Lore.

            "Yes, the web life will be lured away from Megabyte by openings leading to the systems."

            "That's what I'm counting on." Dot put on her glasses and looked down at her planner. The teams dealing with the web-invaded systems had moved surprisingly quickly with the addition of Mainframe's home forces. The majority of Guardians were back in the Super Computer, and this in turn hastened the extermination of web creatures in the Super Computer. Dot estimated the Guardian forces would be freed up completely by the next cycle. Dot removed her glasses and turned to Andraia.

            "Do you have any news for me?"

            "He's injured. I told Harvey to make it to the port before I destroyed it. He saw Megabyte go through after him right before the port collapsed. Megabyte was hurt by the automated security systems of the Super Computer and also by the tail end of the port explosion. I think he's sleeping now. Either way, Harvey is watching him."

            "Good, that'll buy us some time." Dot tapped on the Super Computer consoles. She loved it here, everything moved so fast.

            "That time we have to grow stronger now also means he is growing in strength." Lore said in a low voice behind Dot.

            "Noted. That means I have to start now." Dot looked Lore and narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. " If you were to go to a system and open a rift to the Web, the web creatures would go through it? Like they would go through a portal?"

            Lore nodded.

            "But we cannot raise arms against them."

            "I don't need that, just open a rift and wait till the empty system is as full as possible with web creatures. Close the rift to the Web and come back here. Take some hidden file commands to mask your presence."

            "I understand. The other Codemasters will be pleased to hear of this way to subdue the web life without harming it."

            Dot handed him a data pad full with the coordinates of abandoned systems and waited for him and the other masters to leave.

            "Ma'am?" A Guardian said behind her. "The Web viral's forces are far too large even with all of those empty systems full. Guardians will still have a very hard time."

            "I know. I want the Codemasters to go ahead with this plan while we started with Fish in the Barrel." Dot frowned, she had told Lore of her second plan and he had advised her to keep the knowledge of this plan from the rest of the masters. He feared that they wouldn't agree in this method and would then refuse to help with the first plan. "Specky? Are those other systems ready to go?" 

            Specky, the little binome from Mainframe jumped at the sound of his name and nervously shuffled his feet.

            "Yes, Sir, Ma'am. Firewall traps set and ready. The systems only need to have the Guardians create the portals and Fish and a Barrel will be on a roll." He turned back to his work screen. Specky was the only binome ever to be in the Super Computer and had to stand on a chair to reach the consoles.

            Jarrel came up beside Dot and handed her a data pad.

            "I've assigned the returned key tooled Guardians to the systems. I sent a memo to them informing them on the plan. They are ready at your command."

            Dot smiled. She loved it when sprites or binomes were organized. 

            "Jarrel, if you would like to do the honor."

            Jarrel nodded and opened a communication link over his own key tool.

            "Jarrel to participating systems: Begin."

            Specky cleared his throat to attract attention.

            "Sir, Ma'am. I've estimated that if all plans go well, sixty five percent of Megabyte's web forces will be destroyed or out of commission in two cycles."

            "Good, lets all hope that Megabyte's little nap will last that long." Dot said smugly. "Are our sensors back online?"

            "Fully functioning." A tech replied from under a broken workstation.

            "Give me a visual of the Web. All sectors."        

            An array of vid windows opened and Dot saw her plan working. Swarms of web creatures were rushing through the rifts caused by the masters to be trapped in the empty systems. Operation: Fish in a Barrel was working at peak levels as well. Dot didn't particularly like her plan of luring web creatures into portals that opened to sections of systems isolated by firewalls. Once there, the Guardians closed the portal and the home military forces shot down the trapped creatures until none were left. This process was repeated over and over with brutal efficiency. 

            Dot frowned. This was too easy.

            "Why is this so easy? C'mon Megabreath, where's your edge? What are you hiding from me?" She asked herself quietly before turning to speak with her brother's ex. "Andraia? Anything new?"

            The game sprite rubbed her temples. She had been monitoring the Web through Harvey's senses for the past cycle.

            "Let me ask." She closed her eyes and her brow tightened.

            Dot watched the younger sprite concentrate. She looked so old now. Andraia had not had any down time in a few cycles. And who was Harvey? She wondered.

            Andraia jolted up and ran for the closest workstation. She tapped in coordinates and a vidwindow popped open.

            "What is that?" Specky asked.

            "The Edge of Beyond." Answered Andraia.

            "Then what are those?" Dot asked, pointing on things on the screen.

            "Birthing fields. That is where the eggs of the web creatures are laid. Away from the turbulence of the Web, the eggs develop and when the web creature hatch, it flies into the Web." Andraia answered again with the information given to her by Harvey.

            "There are so many!" Dot said incredulously. "Zoom out."          

            The screen blinked backwards, but still the edges of the vast tracks of eggs were not seen.

            "Again." Dot said, but still the edges were not on screen. "Keep going."

            The magnification went back another three times before the screen captured the size of the birthing fields.

            "There must be millions!" Specky trembled and moved behind Jarrel's leg.

            "Patch me through to Lore." Dot said, and a window popped open.

            "The process goes well Ms. Matrix. Guardians sent by Guardian Jarrel are helping us divert more weblife faster."           

            "Good to hear. I'm sending you a picture from the Edge of Beyond. What do you make of it?"

            The Codemaster's jaw dropped.

            "Egg sacs. Vast tracks. More than I have ever seen. They are the spawn of the infected weblife. What is borne is a hybrid, an abomination of web and viral. The last attempt we made to regain the Web, we came upon a cluster that had recently hatched. The monsters are vicious beyond comprehension. Thankfully, their code was so warped that we could attack them, but still we suffered grievous losses."

            "How close are they to hatching?" Dot said. She needed to come up with a new plan... or two.

            "By the look of it, one or two seconds.

            It was Dot's turn for her jaw to drop.

            "That's not enough time! And Megabyte might wake!"

            Lore clicked the vid window closed on his end and rifted back into the Super Computer.

            "I doubt the virus will attack without the bulk of his full force."

            "Maybe, or he could attack with what he has now and overwhelm us with a wave of those." Dot bit the bottom of her lip in distress, but soon composed herself. She opened a communication link to all Codemasters and Guardians.

            "All forces. New plan. Head towards these new coordinates ASAP. You'll know what to do."

            Dot turned back to talking to Lore.

            "Get in contact with the Codemasters of the Net and try to get them to help. If they refuse, let me talk to them." 

            Dot closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose briefly.

            "Andraia? Megabyte's status?"

            "Still sleeping. Harvey's pumping knockout toxins into him now to keep him under." Andraia was sitting on the stairs now. She couldn't handle the senses of a web creature much longer.

            Dot knelt in front of her.

            "How? Can web creatures produce toxins? Can they use it against us?"

            Andraia shook her head.

            "My code. He gained the ability to produce toxins like I can." She raised her hand and her aquamarine nails extended and then retracted.

            Dot patted the game sprite's hand. She didn't like how pale Andraia looked.

            "Get some rest." When Andraia shook her head again, Dot pushed on. "If he wakes, he wakes. I'll deal with it. go offline. I'll wake you in one cycle." She looked up at Lore, and the Codemaster stepped forward to gently pull Andraia to her feet before opening a rift to a quieter area of the Super Computer.


End file.
